Renewal of the Horizon
by DC111
Summary: Enduring trials has a tendency to bring comrades closer together, and reveal intimate parts of people you wouldn't have seen otherwise - and maybe that they wouldn't have seen themselves, either. When Solaire first told me he was seeking his own sun, I couldn't help but think he was a little strange. I didn't understand… until I did. (Solaire-centered story, Chosen Undead POV)
1. Chapter 1

Hey there!

I don't want my notes to distract from the story, but a couple things real quick to give context:

This story is meant to provide a thoughtful closer look at the events concerning Knight Solaire of Astora. The narrator, a Chosen Undead by the name of Kiani, makes for a lens through which to follow Solaire's quest. That said, she will still be a character of her own, but the main focus is on Solaire. I was hesitant about making a, uh, fan-character at first, but after a little feedback decided to go that route instead of just having a faceless Chosen Undead. Seemed more interesting.

This story is based on the events that (can) occur in the game if you follow Solaire's quest. It's a collection of chronological moments and scenes that take place throughout Solaire's journey, that together form what I believe to be the bigger picture. It does also have parts that don't take place in the game, but believably could have (such as this first scene). Everything is done with consideration to the lore and the character. That said, Dark Souls' lore can be obscure, so if I screw something up, please do let me know. Any feedback is appreciated! Enjoy!

**Rating: T for violence and blood, sometimes graphic. **Probably bordering on **M**, if anyone thinks it warrants changing then I will do so. You've been warned. ;)

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_Renewal of the Horizon_

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I stood back to back with Knight Solaire of Astora in the murky Depths, surrounded by a swarm of sword-wielding Hollows. There had to be upwards of a dozen, and they were vicious even for Hollows. Feral. In groups of two or three it felt like practice, but this was no mere practice. One weapon could only be in one place at a time, and one shield could only cover so much area.

With this many coming at us, strafing with our backs slightly touching was the only way to guard each other. Warm and fatigued from battle, we both smelled of sweat and blood – fortunately more of the former than the latter.

At least, that was the case for a few more moments. Solaire grunted behind me and it sounded of pain more than effort. I kicked a Hollow away from me and used the instant to swing my axe around in an arc. Instinctively aware of Solaire's position as well as that of the Hollow who had struck him – their armor wasn't exactly quiet – my eyes met my target just before the blade did.

From the moment I turned focus away from my side of the fight, I knew it as foolish. And no foolishness in Lordran went without consequence.

Behind me, a Hollow was homing in. Of course I had no awareness of this until it was too late – until the tip of the sword was jutting out from my chest.

The agony didn't register until it was forcefully and fatally yanked back through my innards. The Hollow pressed a foot against my back and withdrew the blade from my ribcage like it was a gory sheath. I heard myself scream. It was a liquid-sounding scream, convoluted with hoarse gurgles.

Blood spurted from the wound and ran down my robes. I collapsed forward. Everything was blurry and dark. Solaire's enraged battle cry was far away like an echo.

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When I came to, I was greeted by the relieving light and warmth of the bonfire. I woke, if you could call it that, with a rush of adrenaline. The feeling was like coming out of a nightmare and slowly coming to the realization that it was over. Nightmares didn't hurt as much as that experience had, though.

The bonfire was always a welcome sight. Like a blip of sunlight in a dark, dark world.

Speaking of sunlight…

"Solaire?" I called urgently, sitting up and brushing off my pyromancer robes. Everything was still fuzzy. All I knew at that moment was that I'd gotten distracted because I heard Solaire make a rather awful noise.

I cursed myself for being so impulsive and foolish. Solaire was one of the few people in this land I had befriended. And who knew if our lives were still taking place on the same plane of Lordran now that I had triggered the Darksign? Time and space here was very distorted, as Solaire had told me. I didn't like the idea of being alone in this place. No one did. And clearly, I needed his battle expertise.

"Oh, hello there, Kiani. Back from the dead I see!" I jumped, and for a moment was pretty certain I had just been stabbed again, with the way my heart clenched. "Forgive me – I didn't mean to startle you."

Solaire was sitting against the wall to my left, just at the edge of my vision. I took a calming breath. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"Yes, that wasn't your brightest moment, my friend," Solaire's strong blue eyes settled on me, the light of the bonfire not missing them even through the slits in his iron helm. I felt ashamed, but I could tell by the gentle tone of his voice that he was not angry. "Take care not to let that happen too often; we don't want you going Hollow, now! The best way we can help each other is to help ourselves first. I was fine, I assure you. I had been wounded but had just enough Estus left to tide me over. "

"I… I got overwhelmed. Usually there aren't that many at once." For the most part, I could take any one or two enemies easily, large or small; Lordran was a battleground and I was not weak. But there had just been so many, and I assumed Solaire had been overwhelmed too. But I should have known better. He had been a knight before Lordran; I had practiced pyromancy, but it wasn't the same. I had quite a bit of learning to do when it came to battle.

"It happens to the best of us," the man said, chuckling, and then added, "though perhaps not quite as often. That said, you are an able warrior. Do not doubt yourself due to one lapse in focus."

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That was several days ago. But putting it that way made it sound much more recent than it deserved credit for. When you're fighting for your life – or lack thereof – and continuously reliving the merciless consequences of your mistakes, one fight to the death after another… well, time doesn't seem to feel quite the same. Time was already unstable and distorted in Lordran as it was. And all it really takes to change someone is a few moments of horror. One single wrong move, or the breaking of bad news, or a sight you cannot unsee. But the Undead following the prophecy experienced much more of that than a few moments.

The bonfires were our refuge. Their energy restored life upon being killed. But the price was that it burned away a little bit more of our humanity. The more humanity dwindled, the easier it was to become Hollow – a disfigured, corpse-like, insane form of the human. Once an Undead had lost enough humanity, if they also lost their sense of purpose, then their fate was horrific Hollowing. Death was a mere obstacle, a second chance. When you were revived by the fire, most of the life in that vicinity was as well, putting you back at square one but with a slowly increasing level of weakness and torment. Only the knowledge you gained balanced that out.

Death could be overcome in this land, but it was still not something to be trifled with. And never did the experience become any easier, or any less frightening. It was surreal, really. We weren't meant to come back to life. So when death takes an Undead – your instincts and your being still feel it as though it's a final death, like anyone else's. It's horrific at first. And usually quite painful. It makes you feel… well, hollow. Then there's a brief, hard-to-pinpoint moment of ease, as though you're right between awake and asleep, before everything you are becomes nothingness.

This was the blessing and the curse of those marked with the Darksign. Of course, we become living again, invigorated by the powerful flames. It almost seemed sentient, that fire. I supposed it was. It is fueled by soul and humanity, after all.

The way they talk about the Darksign makes it sound like some kind of privilege or purpose just for you. But really, many people are marked. I was but one. Solaire was another. He seemed to see a level of opportunity about it that I didn't yet. When I'd been taken to the Undead Asylum, I had little knowledge of the prophecy, and even less care for it. So the whole situation was forced upon me, whereas Solaire welcomed it with open arms.

Truth be told, right now I didn't mind it. It's not like I was leaving Lordran anytime soon; the present was too pressing to be concerned with a past that might as well not have existed at this point. But it seemed like this journey was much more than just me, despite that I was apparently the Chosen Undead.

Solaire was on a journey too. I looked over at him, his chainmail armor that didn't hide the muscle beneath, the tunic with the sun that he had painted himself, the green pauldrons. What a strange choice of attire. But he intrigued me. Our friendship was but a bud not yet bloomed; we had only met perhaps a fortnight ago, but so many trials had occurred in that time, and thanks to the summoning signs we had been able to assist each other frequently.

Right now we had the fortune of being in the same plane of time and space – we were together, not due to summoning but actual presence. We were resting at the bonfire of the Undead Burg, surrounded by crumbling walls, with a bridge just outside that put not quite enough distance between us and some Hollows. I was wary, but Solaire seemed nonchalant. That was fair; we had already overcome this place, only having returned to pillage. There were many abandoned houses here, and anything we could find in the environment was helpful and precious to our progress.

I wanted to know more about Solaire; his quest, his sun. This knight, gentle and considerate but intimidating when he wanted to be, had such a peculiar spirit about him. For now, his quest was mine too, for I had no quest of my own. There was the prophecy, but once again, I hadn't _chosen_ that. I didn't own that quest the way Solaire owned his quest for the sun. He had a kind of passion that I didn't, and to me, that very fact made his journey more worthwhile than some ambiguous prophecy.

So the least I could do was assist him as he was doing for me. I cherished the opportunity anyway. Every time we spoke I gained another miniscule insight to the enigma of this Warrior of the Sun.

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There's a start for ya. Wanted to get the basics of Dark Souls' world in there and set things up. Please let me know what you think so far! Also, I'm open to suggestions, so if there's anything you'd like to see, feel free to let me know. No promises but I'm open.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Ah, hello. :3

Back for another update. I've reworked the first chapter, making the Chosen Undead somewhat less, uh, faceless. The author's note there explains why, and you can feel free to skim the chapter if you want, though the changes are minor and shouldn't hinder anything. The story is still about Solaire, I just didn't want the narrator to be vague and boring. The Chosen Undead's name is Kiani, and she's a pyromancer from Astora, albeit a different part of Astora than Solaire. (Yes, that might be a strange choice of location considering her fighting style, but remember that the Elite Armor, suggested to be Astoran, speaks of fire-warding! Plus, most Astorans seem to be familiar with the Undead prophecy, as evidenced by Oscar speaking of it, Anastacia being a firekeeper, and Solaire himself following the same journey as the Chosen Undead.) Anyway, the story itself will make more sense of this later, so bear with me. :)

For now, here's more of the story!

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The first time I met Solaire was a memorable moment indeed. Having just trudged my way through the Undead Burg for the first time, I could see someone off in the distance from the curved bridge, on a balcony of sorts. I wasn't sure if he was friendly or hostile, but he was simply standing there yonder, peering out at the sky calmly, so I was inclined to think he was friendly. Hopeful, I had sped up along the bridge, keeping to the right since it had crumbled in a few spots along the left.

That was when the Taurus Demon sprung down from the watchtower.

The fight was a rough one, and I managed to sprain an ankle trying to attack it by jumping from the ladder. I had no idea how to fight the intimidating creature and didn't want to stay within its range long enough to find out how it would fight me, so I threw my fire at it from a distance, strafing back around when it got too close. All the while, I was doubting my judgment of the still man beyond the bridge – surely if he was a friendly face, he would come to help me!

When I defeated the monster, I limped my way through the door under the watchtower. To my right was another bridge, a wider one. I could see what looked like a bonfire at the other side of it, but there were armed Hollows between here and there. To my left, of course, was the area I had seen from the bridge.

I glanced back and forth between my two options for a moment, leaning on the wall for support and keeping the weight off my sore ankle. Dead end balcony. Hollows. Strange man. Bonfire.

I wouldn't be able to outrun the Hollows this way, but surely I could take them out. They were clumsy and they tended to behave similarly. There were only three and I had just repaired my equipment. Certainly they would fall at my axe, and I would be able to rest at the fire… _then _I could find out who this person was, and whether his intents were of good or ill.

It was a struggle not to groan or grimace when I forced myself forward. Making noise would make things more difficult, and I was hoping to sneak up on at least one or two of the Hollows before they knew what hit them.

Before I could even make it within their range, I became aware of an unusual sound coming from above. A whooshing of sorts…

The shadow passed over me just as I looked up, seeming to sap the light out of the sky for an instant. A massive, red drake.

"Oh bloody hell…" I murmured, heart racing. Had it seen me? Or just the Hollows? Sprained ankle be damned, I backtracked much faster and hid under the tower again, pressing myself against the wall inside the door. I prayed to any and all lords that it would not be able to reach me somehow… that its fire wouldn't burn me to a crisp, that it wasn't strong enough to destroy the wall between it and me, which really, when you thought about it, was not all that thick…

When I peered out again, the Hollows were dead, their charred, blackened bodies decorating the bridge and still smoking. The red drake was at the other end of the bridge, just perched there, as if on guard.

Well, I certainly didn't want that bonfire enough to risk the blistering heat of that dragon's fire. With new perspective, I turned the other way.

The man was still standing there, gazing off at nothing. How had he not heard all that? Perhaps it was only loud to me – I was on edge, hyperaware of everything right now. Cautiously, I limped my way down the steps towards him. The wind was blowing out here. Maybe it had disguised the noise. Maybe he was simply lost in thought. Lordran, evidently, was a chaotic place. The sounds of battle might not be new to his ears, so perhaps it didn't startle him.

I was almost there when he heard me and glanced over his shoulder. I went rigid. When he didn't pull a weapon on me, I hobbled forward another few steps, keeping his gaze.

"Ah, hello," he said, eying me up and down briefly. "You're no Hollow… far from it!"

"Yes," I confirmed as I approached. He gestured to the raised ledge of the balcony, apparently noticing my injury. Smiling gratefully, I sat down, relieved that he did not mind my presence here.

"I am Solaire of Astora, adherent of the Lord of Sunlight. And you are?"

Out of respect, I nodded my head in a slight bow. "My name is Kiani. I'm also from Astora, though many mistake me as being from the Great Swamp. 'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Solaire. It is a relief to meet a friendly face in between these beasts."

"Ah yes, did you encounter a Taurus Demon as well? I thought I had finished him off."

"Perhaps you did and it simply revived as we do. This land, it is strange that way…" I caught myself. "Apologies, I shouldn't just assume your status because you're in Lordran."

"Not to worry, friend, I am also cursed with the Darksign. Now that I am Undead, I have come to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn… to seek my very own sun."

In the middle of massaging my ankle, I frowned and met his eyes, wondering if he would elaborate. We were from the same land, but I wasn't sure I had heard someone say such a thing before.

He chuckled lightly. "Do you find that strange? Well, you should! No need to hide your reaction. I get that look all the time."

Feeling a little sheepish, I looked away. Solaire still seemed comfortable enough, continuing to stare off at the sky. Taking a breath, I slid off the ledge and gently set myself on my feet, testing my ankle. For a few minutes I paced about the area in slow steps, seeing if I could tolerate my injury now that the rush of battle had died down. It was painful, but I knew I could still move quickly if I absolutely needed to. Really, I had only to make it to the bonfire across the bridge; it wasn't that far. The drake might make that a more arduous task, however…

Perhaps Solaire knew of a way to go about this. I did not want to dishonor myself by relying on another, but if he had any ideas to share, I could fight or evade the dragon myself as necessary. He seemed a nice enough fellow.

He heard my uneven approach and turned to face me. "Oh… ah hah, so I didn't scare you! I thought you had made to leave."

"No sir," I smiled. "There are much more unsettling things in Lordran. I've my own mysteries as well."

"In that case, I've a proposition, if you have a moment."

"Of course."

He met my eyes; it was the first time I had actually made eye contact with him, his face being mostly concealed by an iron helm. His eyes were a vivid blue, gentle and focused. "The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined. We are Undead but intact with ourselves, both headed in the same direction. In this land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance? I hardly think so."

We were also both Astoran. I wondered how he had wound up here. Considering the prophecy, was there a chance it could have been the same as my own experience? "Solaire, pardon my asking… but did you come here of your own accord?"

"Well, yes and no," he said. "Being marked with the Darksign, I knew there was a possibility I could find myself here eventually. There must be a purpose to it all, so I wanted it, you see. When they came to take me to the Undead Asylum, I did not resist as many do; I allowed it."

The way he worded that, as if he could have _not _allowed it, had that been his choice. Suddenly I got the impression that this man was very able.

"So – what do you say?" Solaire gestured to me. "Why not help one another on this lonely journey?"

"Well… yes, absolutely," I said graciously. "I was thinking of suggesting the same."

"Oh, wonderful. This pleases me greatly! Well then, take this." He handed something to me; I reached out and took it. It was a vivid, white stone. "As you've no doubt seen, we are amidst strange beings in a strange land. The flow of time itself is convoluted, with heroes centuries old phasing in and out. The very fabric wavers… and relations shift and obscure."

He glanced over at me, as if to make sure we hadn't phased apart and he wasn't talking to mere air. Then he gestured to the stone that was now resting in my palms. "There's no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact. But use this to summon one another as spirits, cross the gaps between worlds, and engage in jolly cooperation! Of course, we will not be the only ones engaged in this; you will find others as well. But I am a warrior of the sun; spot my summon signature easily by its brilliant gold aura. If you miss it, you must be blind!" He chuckled a hearty, good-natured chuckle. It was contagious and I found myself smiling too.

"Shall we continue onward together?" I asked. Why not?

"Forgive me, but I'd prefer to meet up later. If our destinies be tied, I will see you in the flesh again." Solaire leaned forward on the ledge, eyes fixated toward the horizon once again. "For now, I will stay behind to gaze at the sun. The sun is a wondrous body… like a magnificent father." His voice took a tone of fondness, of longing, and I wondered if he was talking to me anymore or just to himself. "If only I could be so grossly incandescent."

The curiosity was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to ask, but not to pry. On one hand it felt like we were firm companions already. On the other… we had just met, and things such as trust and disclosure were not yet justified. So I held my tongue and peered at the sun with him, becoming aware of the light and warmth it brought to the day, and to this grim land, too. Whatever this man's vague purpose, it surely was a noble one.

"Have you a flask?" Solaire asked me.

"Uh, I do…"

"You don't sound so sure," he said gently, sounding amused.

I took out the flask, revealing to him the reason for my hesitation. "'Tis empty."

"Ah, that would explain why you are still limping! Don't fret, friend – you hide it well enough," he added quickly, seeing what must have been an ashamed expression on my face. "But bravado is unnecessary, Kiani. As Undead warriors here in Lordran, we can hardly fault one another the occasional injury. May I see your flask?"

I handed it to him – he took out his own and poured half of the sizzling orange fluid into the container. When he was done, I looked up at him with sincerity. "Thank you."

"The drake tends to take a very large breath before expelling its fire," Solaire said. "If you make haste, you can make it halfway across the bridge, where there is a stairwell to your right. Duck down into it, and when the drake's fire dwindles, go straight to the bonfire under that structure. The old beast won't pursue you into such a small area."

"Your assistance has already been invaluable." I took a large gulp of Estus, its sizzling warmth traversing my body and revitalizing it. My ankle painlessly stabilized, and only a shadow of the former soreness remained. There was still enough remaining in the flask to tide me over should I get licked by the dragon's flames.

I gave Solaire a final look and made my way onward. I hoped he was right about us meeting again soon. Already I was fond of him. Perhaps I could assist him sometime and repay this debt.

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Hope you enjoyed. Again, if you've any thoughts, comments, suggestions, etc. please leave a review! I'd appreciate any feedback.


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